But last week, as Dr. John Kilkenny addressed hundreds of Jacksonville doctors as the new president of the Duval County Medical Society, he got right to the core of the medical community’s failures to unite and influence health care reform. He even unexpectedly challenged the sometimes overly divisive politics of medical associations like the one he is now representing.

“There has been concern in the relatively recent past that the DCMS’ defined political positions have driven away some physicians,” Kilkenny said Jan. 21 at the group’s annual dinner. “While there must be consideration for the broad cross-section of our members’ political views, it is more than evident that organized medicine has not been taken seriously by our elected officials.”

Kilkenny, a surgeon at the University of Florida and Shands Jacksonville, didn’t stop at his observations about the medical community’s internal politics. He went on to express both criticism and concern that the industry’s failures to unite on health care reform allowed power players like the medical device industry, “Big Pharma,” hospital associations and insurance companies to drive the debate.

“Does it not strike you as odd that the actual purveyors of health care, we physicians who use the medical devices, who prescribe the drugs and who admit the patients to hospitals, are essentially not being included in the negotiations?” he said.

Kilkenny said his background in private practice as well as academics afford him a broad perspective on the medical industry, and he intends to represent all physicians, not just those who agree with the position of the Florida Medical Society, whose political stance typically dictates that of the DCMS.

“Over the years, I’ve gotten a pretty good feel for the difference of opinions and their experiences,” he said after his speech. “I felt confident in my personal experience being able to represent them as widely as I could.”

As president of DCMS for 2010, Kilkenny follows Dr. Stephen Lucie, who led the organization in 2009. He has been active in the medical society in recent years, being elected to the board several years ago and becoming involved with its medical journal, Northeast Florida Medicine. He was appointed editor-in-chief of the journal in 2007.

Jay Millson, executive vice president of the Duval County Medical Society, said Kilkenny’s work and leadership were exemplary. His nature as a problem solver, someone who is thoughtful and doesn’t easily jump to conclusions made him a standout candidate to represent the group.

“All past presidents care a great deal about the society and stay connected to ensure the mission is fulfilled,” Millson said. “They don’t attempt to interfere, [but] simply provide input into making the medical community effective and good stewards on behalf of you and me. Most importantly, the DCMS is fortunate to have leaders who care as much for their society as they do their patients.”

Kilkenny said he is concerned about the state of medicine, which he described as “under attack.” He cited working harder and longer for decreasing reimbursement, being described as driving up the cost of health care by ordering extra tests to stave off trial lawyers and physicians and losing prestige as a profession as doctors fail to be more involved in the dialogue on the health care system; and he called for a change.

“The practice of medicine will never again be the way it was, but instead of regretting that things are not as they used to be, we need to prevent them from getting worse,” Kilkenny said. “The times are so uncertain, and the course required so uncharted, that it will take the collective expertise of all of us to successfully move our profession into the future.”

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